A look at Andrea rain totals, wind reports

Tropical Storm Andrea was on its way to the Carolinas and status as a post-tropical entity, finally exiting the Florida weather scene after two or three rough days. But because the low pressure system is scooting straight up the coast, it’s going to be drawing more deep tropical moisture into the area until at least Sunday, so look for hot temperatures, high humidity and occasional rain.

You’ve been putting off that trip to the Amazon but now you don’t have to worry because the Amazon will be coming to you.

Highs today may hit 90, even in Palm Beach. And it will be in the 90s all next week in the western suburbs and in the Glades, where they’re still sweeping up after the pounding from Andrea.

In Palm Beach winds swing around to the east on Saturday afternoon, bringing in some livelier air with highs in the mid-80s.

Surveying the post-Andrea rain totals, 2.59 inches fell at Palm Beach International Airport as a direct or indirect result of the storm since Monday.

Looking at rain accumulation from Thursday, when Andrea was at its most potent, reports from around the state weren’t actually that impressive — at least compared with the dire predictions we were hearing from the National Weather Service of 5-8 inches or more.

The highest wind gust I could find was at Anna Maria Island off the coast of Bradenton — 60 mph at 10:55 a.m. St. Petersburg had a 51 mph gust at 11:45 a.m. but up the coast at Cedar Key, close to where Andrea reportedly made landfall, winds also topped out at 51 mph.

You would think that after getting drenched in May and dealing with a tropical storm right out of the starting gate in June, we would finally have some nice weather on the way. In fact, the long-range forecast from the Climate Prediction Center shows normal rainfall and temperatures over the next couple of weeks.

Invest 92L in the Central Atlantic is running up against 60-knot wind shear as predicted, but it’s possible that the low pressure area could regenerate after it gets farther west. In addition, the GFS forecast model spins another low pressure system up in the Northwest Caribbean next weekend, but ultimately takes it through the Gulf of Mexico and into Texas.

About the Author

John Nelander is a freelance writer, book editor and publisher in West Palm Beach. Weather Matters features news and observations about the weather with a focus on what's happening in South Florida. The blog also looks at the latest studies on climate change as well as what's happening in the weather forecasting biz. His website is www.pbeditorialservices.com.